Researchers at the University of Paris and colleagues fed the molecule fullerene (C60 or “buckyballs”) dissolved in olive oil to rats and found it almost doubles their lifespan, with no chronic toxicity.

The results suggest that the effect of C60, an antioxidant, on lifespan is mainly due to the attenuation of age-associated increases in oxidative stress, according to the researchers.

Pharmacokinetic studies show that dissolved C60 is absorbed by the gastro-intestinal tract and eliminated in a few tens of hours.

“These results of importance in the fields of medicine and toxicology should open the way for the many possible biomedical applications of C60 including cancer therapy, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging,” the researcher suggest.

“C60 can be administered orally, and as it is now produced in tons, it is no longer necessary to resort to its water-soluble derivatives, which are difficult to purify and, in contrast to pristine C60, may be toxic.

14 comments and only 1 mentioned the major issue here: the olive oil alone worked better than any nutritional program ever invented, so the study is highly suspect. The buckyballs had almost a minor additional effect.

This is a tiny study that needs to be replicated. On the positive side, it’s in Wistar rats, not test tubes or meaningless species like flies or worms. If you want to be a human Guinea Pig, you can buy C60 (Google’s yer friend) and dissolve it in olive oil. Personally, I think I’ll wait a bit…

The sample size is microscopic (6 males per group), and if you look at the data, the olive oil intervention was almost as ‘effective’ as the buckyball + olive oil intervention. Which implies that just giving olive oil is more effective at life extension in this Wistar breed than any published caloric restriction experiment!

Thanks for the ref frants:
“the treatment was stopped after 17 months and the EML, i.e. the estimated median lifespans, were indeed just that estimated!” (extension could be over or under 90%)
It is important to know the biochem mechanism by which longevity was induced. Obviously free radical damage is still major. Aubrey de grey’s 7 aging causes:
Cancer-causing nuclear mutations/epimutations:

Mitochondrial mutations:

Intracellular aggregates:

Our cells are constantly breaking down proteins and other molecules that are no longer useful or which can be harmful. Those molecules which can’t be digested simply accumulate as junk inside our cells. Atherosclerosis, macular degeneration and all kinds of neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease) are associated with this problem.

Extracellular aggregates:

Harmful junk protein can also accumulate outside of our cells. The amyloid senile plaque seen in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients is one example.

Cell loss:

Some of the cells in our bodies cannot be replaced, or can only be replaced very slowly – more slowly than they die. This decrease in cell number causes the heart to become weaker with age, and it also causes Parkinson’s disease and impairs the immune system.

Cell senescence:

This is a phenomenon where the cells are no longer able to divide, but also do not die and let others divide. They may also do other things that they’re not supposed to, like secreting proteins that could be harmful. Immune senescence and type 2 diabetes are caused by this.[citation needed]

Extracellular crosslinks:

Cells are held together by special linking proteins. When too many cross-links form between cells in a tissue, the tissue can lose its elasticity and cause problems including arteriosclerosis and presbyopia.[7]

Ever heard of “white swan” event? Many of us watched the SIRTIRS purchase by GSK and subsequent failure to develop a super-resveratrol with great disappointment. I am still optimistic enough to believe that there are good, non-crony FDA-BigPharma researchers out there (c60 is not patentable although I assume means to purify it are). Maybe this is the breakthrough that forces the freedom issue.

I agree, which is why I think Khannea hit it on the head. Rats and humans are a lot different when it comes to aging and how our bodies fight cancer etc. One lives a few years and maintians its body accordingly, another has 20 times the life expectancy and maintians it’s body defences as such.